Prelude to a Scary Summer
Israeli Airstrike Hits Hamas Militants

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli aircraft Wednesday fired at a group of Hamas militants who were about to shoot mortar shells at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, the army and witnesses said. The new violence threatened a fragile cease-fire declared in February.

The airstrike came minutes after militants fired four mortar shells at the Gush Katif settlement bloc. The army said it spotted two Palestinians preparing to fire more mortars when it attacked.

These questions plague me. Will the Israelis currently living in Gaza leave peacefully when Israel evacuates in August? How aggressive will Palestinian violence against the IDF be during the withdrawal? Notice, I'm not asking if Palestinians will attack the IDF. That's a given. They have to, so as to make it look like Israel is withdrawing under fire. The only question is, will it be disorganized hoodlums, or will Hamas and Fatah throw everything they have into the fight? How aggressive and broad will be the IDF's retaliation? This may be its last opportunity to degrade Hamas and Fatah's capabilities from inside Gaza. Who will deal with Hamas in Gaza after Israel withdraws? Gaza will rapidly deteriorate into a war zone of competing gangsters, no productive economy, and no vision for any meaningful social or economic development. Hey! That sounds just like all the other Arab states. - served up by Doctor Bean @ 10:06 AM